Mail-bag fastener



Febo 5 -9240 11,482,662 T. C. SHEPPARD MAIL BAG FASTENER Fiied May 2,1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 5 p

1,482,652 T. c. SHEPPARD MAIL BAG FASTENER Filed May 2, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 2 50 Figure '4;

h atented Feh. 5, i924.

earner o TEAFOBID CpSHEPPAR-D, OF SOUTH RICHIVIQIID, VIRGINIA.

IMAIL-BAG' FASTENEB.

Application filed May 2,

This invention relates to mail bag fas- -teners.

An important object of the invention is tozprovide a device-of thischaracter which may be cheaply andreadily produced and which. is soconstructed as to afford guides preventing twisting of the cords formingtheactual closure of the mail bag.

A further and more specific object or the,

invention is to: provide in combination with a zmail bag fastenerincluding a cam a clamping element for clamping the cords of'the bag toprevent movement thereof with relation to the fastener, a mounting torthe clamping'm'echanism provided at op- -posite sides thereof withguides maintaining the cords separated to thereby prevent twisting ofthe cords under the "clamping wmechanism. It is well known that thistwisting o1 the cords to :ottencauses improper action of the clamping'mechanism and furthercauses an undue "pressure 'to be placed upon thecords'which has a tendency to sever them.

:These and other objectsil attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawings;wherein for the purpose of "illus tratlon is showna preferred embodiment Lofimy invention and wherem 1-- Figure 1 isaperspective view of amail 4QI bagfastener constructed in accordance withmy invention, showingthe'hasp in released position;

.:Figure"2 is" a similar view showing hasp in closed position;

wFigure EB is a perspective view o't :haspmounting plate removedcFigureYP-is alongitudinal sectional view taken: through'the devi ce;.-Figure 5'.is'a se'ction on the line 5'5 of the the

Figurefi is a section on'the line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7' is,a=section on the line 7-7 of Figures. 4

1923. Serial No. 636,245-

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure l;

Figure 9 is a perspective of the staple removed;

FigureiO is a perspective of one end guide removed; and

Figure 11 is a perspective of the center guide removed.

Referring now more part'cularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 Ldicatesa'base plate provided upon its under surface at its longitudinal edgeswith reverted flanges 11 forming guides for edges of an address slip 12.Upon the upper surface or" the plate 10 at one end thereof is arranged amounting its sides and at points spaced from its ends with upstandingaligned flanges i l the purpose of which will. presently appear. One endof the plate 13 is arranged to coincide with one end of the base plate10, the plate 13 and the base plate 10 having aligned openings 1%through which extend rivets 15 formed upon the extremities of an archedguide plate 16, the rivets being headed upon the under surface of tleplate 10. The plate 13 has formed therein at this end and innnediatelybelow the arch a further open-- ing 17 aligned with a similar openingtori er in the base plate and through. which extends a rivet 18 formedon the lower end of a partition plate 19 which extends from the uppersurface oi: the plate to the under surface of the arch guide .16 anddivides this arch to provide a pair of guide openings 20. It will benoted that the partition plate 19 and arch guide 16 serve, in additionto the function of providing the guide channels 20, t s a meanstor-securing this end of the plate 13 to the base plate 1 Th numeral 21designates a g use formed by providing a single piece oi metal andbending the ends or the metal baclrupon the central portion thereof toform loops the adjacent faces of which are spaced, and a base 23. Thebase 23 is preferably slightly longer than the loops 22 and this baseabuts the opposite end of the plate 13 from the guide 16, the excesswidth of the base being arranged at the opposite end of the loops :22from the plate 13 and being secured to the base plate by means or"rivets 24:. The base 23 has formed therein intermediate theadjacenttacesoftheloops. 22 an opening-.25

plate 13 which is provided at aligning with a similar opening formed inthe base plate 10, and the adjacent end of the plate 13 has an opening26 formed approximately centrally of the plate which likewise alignswith an opening formed in the base 10. The numeral 27 designates astaple in the form of a plate having a hasp receiving opening 28 andabutting with its lower end the adjacent ends of the plate 30 and base23 of the guide 21, this plate being provided upon its lower edge withintegral extensions 29 and 30 engaging through the openings 25 and 26 ofthe base and plate 13. respectively, and serving as rivets. It will benoted that the staple 27 serves'to anchor the rear end of the plate 13and the forward end of the base23 of the guide 21 and to fasten thesedevices to the base plate 10, in addition to serving as the staple. Thisplate 27 by its engagement between the loops 22 of the guide is steadiedthereby and prevent ed from sidewise movement in event of accidentalengagement thereof. At the opposite end of the base plate 10 from thatengaged by the plate 13 an archguide 31 is disposed, having at its endsrivets 32 directed through openings formed in the base plate and rivetedupon the under surface thereof.

The flanges 14 of the plate 13, hereinbefore referred to, serve asmountings for the hasp 33, this hasp being formed with flanges 34through which the pivots extend and being constructed at the pivot toprovide a cam 36 which when the hasp is vertically arranged, as regardsthe base plate, provides suflicient clearance to permit the fasteningropes 37 with which the device is employed to slide readilytherethrough. hen swung to a horizontal position where it parallels thebase plate 10, the hasp abuts the upper surfaces of the guides 21 and31, being pro vided with a slot 38 through which the staple 27 extendssufliciently to permit the engagement of the usual fastening means inthe opening 28 thereof; When in this position the cam 36 of the haspabuts the ropes 37 very firmly forcing the same into engagement with theupper surface of the plate 13 and effectually prevents longitudinal movement thereof.

It will be noted from the foregoing that the cam clamping element 36 isdisposed intermediate a pair of guides 16 and 21, each including meansfor maintaining the two strands of the rope separated, and that thestaple 27 further assists in maintaining these ropes separated,accordingly, there is practicall 'no possibility of the ropesintermediate t ese guides becoming twisted so as to prevent their properengagement by the cam 36. It Will furthermore'be obvious that theconstruction hereinbefore set forth is capable of some changeandmodification without materially departing from the spirit of myinvention and I accordingly do not limit myself to suchspecific'structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim r 1. In a mail bag fastener, a baSe plate, a hasp plate mountedupon the upper surface of the base plate, a guide mounted upon one endof the hasp plate and secured to the base plate through the hasp plate,a hasp pivoted to the hasp plate, a staple mounted upon the opposite endof the hasp plate, and means for securing the staple to the base plateextending through the hasp plate.

2. In a mail bag fastener, a base plate, a hasp plate mounted upon theupper sur face of the base plate and secured thereto at one end, a hasppivoted to said hasp plate and includingmeans'for clamping a ropethereto, a guide mounted upon the base plate adjacent the free end ofthe hasp plate'and embodying guide loops extending longitudinally oft-he base plate, the adjacent faces of said guide loops being spaced,and a staple for said hasp abuttlng the adjacentends of said hasp plateand guide and extending intermediate the loops of the guide, andsecuring means for said staple extending through the hasp plate andguide and engaged with said'base plate.

3. In a mail bag fastener, a base plate, a hasp plate mounted upon theupper surface of the base plate and secured thereto at one end, a hasppivoted to said hasp plate and including means for clamping a ropethereto, a guide mounted upon the base plate adjacent the free end ofthe hasp plate and embodying guide loops extending longitudinally of thebase plate, the adjacent faces of said guide loops being spaced, and astaple for said hasp abutting the adjacent ends of said hasp plate andguide and extending intermediate the loops of the guide, and securingmeans for said staple extending through the hasp plate andguide andengaged with said base plate, the se-' curing means for the first namedend of the base plate including an arched rope guide.

4. In a mail bag fastener, a base plate, a hasp plate mounted upon theupper surface of the base plate and secured thereto at one end, a hasppivoted to said hasp plate and including means for clamping a rope thereto, a guide mounted upon the base plate ad jacent the free end of thehasp. plate and embodying guide loops extending longi tudinally of thebase plate, the adjacent faces of said guide loops being spaced, and

a staple for said hasp abutting the adjacent ends of said hasp plate andguide and extending intermediate the loops of the guide, and securingmeans for said staple extending through the hasp plate and guide andengaged with said base plate, the securingmeans for the first named endof the base plate including an arched rope guide, and a partition plateextending between the base plate and the guide at the center thereof andsubdividing the space therebetween into two rope channels.

5. In a mail bag fastener, a base plate, a hasp plate mounted upon theupper surface of the base plate, a hasp carried by the hasp plate andembodying means for clamp ing a pair of ropes fastened therebeneath tothe hasp plate, and means carried by the base plate at opposite ends ofthe hasp plate for guiding and maintaining in separated relation a pairof ropes passed between the hasp plate and hasp, one of said guidesbeing secured to the base plate through the hasp plate to thereby secureone end of the hasp plate to the base plate.

6. In a mail bag fastener, a base plate, a hasp plate mounted upon theupper surface of the base plate, a hasp carried by the hasp plate andembodying means for clamping a pair of ropes fastened therebeneath tothe hasp plate, and means carried by the base plate at opposite ends ofthe hasp plate for guiding and maintaining in separated relation a pairof ropes passed .between the hasp plate and hasp, and a staple for saidhasp secured to the base plate through said hasp plate at one endthereof to thereby secure one end of the hasp plate to the base plate,the guide at the opposite end of the hasp plate from the staple beingsecured to the base through the hasp plate.

7. In a mail bag fastener, a base plate, a hasp plate mounted upon theupper surface of the base plate and secured thereto at one end, a hasppivoted to said plate and including means for clamping a. rope thereto,and a staple for said hasp abutting the upper surface of the hasp plateand having a portion extending through the hasp and base plates andsecured to the base plate whereby to secure the hasp plate to the baseplate.

8. In a mail bag fastener, a base plate, a plate mounted upon the uppersurface of the base plate and secured thereto at one end, a hasp pivotedto said plate and including means for clamping a rope thereto, a guidemounted upon the base plate adjacent the free end thereof, and a staplefor said hasp abutting the upper surfaces of adjacent ends of the guideand plate and secured therethrougli to the base plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

TEAFORD C. SHEPPARD.

